Thanks to my religious father since 1976, he has successfully turned three of my four sisters into religious dumb asses. The only one who isn't religious, is a drug addict of (15) years. She, to make a long story short, had a family, a great job and a husband who loved her very much. Then, she got hooked up with a scumbag who too, was hooked on speed. (enough said)

I personally, am probably the only brother in the world, who spends much more time with my brother in laws than my own sisters. (I simply love them all) One is kinda religious, but hesitates to disclose it around me. However, he'll do anything for ya!!

While I love my sisters very much, they just don't think rationally, like they use to in the past. I have noticed a major difference in them, since 9-11, as they have pretty much taken the religious bullshit of the Republican Party...

1) Hook2) Line ...and3) Sinker

They never question anything anymore. They (when I can stomach them long enough at a family gathering) always say, it's in God's hands!!

What about their own? Did their God cut them off? They were eating their pumpkin pie with their hands last Thanksgiving/Christmas!!

Then I stumbled across something recently, that pretty much sealed my belief, that organized religion is as vile, as vile could possibly be. Yes, I have heard it before here and elsewhere, but this link revealed to me, how not only my brainwashed, brain dead religious sisters has fallen victim to organized religion, but how the (10) steps of dealing with an addicted family member, were so closely related to one another. I, for the life of me never before saw, how the ten steps of dealing with an addict, showed as much promise, as the ten dangerous steps of following ANY kind of organized religion. One is like a "personal empowerment handbook," while the other is like the "skull and crossbones," on the back of your drain opener under the sink. (christ jesus )

I am an ex-addict as mentioned before. My addicted sister, who is getting disability yes, (for being an addict) moved back in with my mom for awhile, because she spends all her $$$ on speed. (couldn't pay the rent)

Now, since the symptoms of addiction are pretty much the same with family members, as well as with an addict, I try to warn the remaining (3) of my sisters, that you are playing the "denial game" with her addiction as well. And since I confront my sister with the fact that she is an addict, and DO NOT TREAT HER WITH SYMPATHY OVER HER ADDICTION LIKE THE REST OF MY SISTERS DO WELL...

NOW I'M THE BASTARD!!

quote...

The problem is that helping an addict is not the same as helping a family member who was laid off from their job or injured in a car accident. In some cases, addiction goes on for longer than it should because family or friends with good intentions enable the addict, cushioning the negative consequences of their poor decisions. Sometimes those in relationships with addicts are psychologically attached to the feeling of being needed by the addict, and losing that relationship would be devastating for their own sense of identity and self-worth. If you know an addict, you should evaluate your interactions with them to make sure that you are helping the addict (which might mean NOT helping them!) and not the addiction. The following are a few common ways that well-meaning friends and family enable addicts.

What makes this scenerio more insane, is the fact that all of them gave me support during my addiction several years ago, including my mom. In addition, THEY ALL UNDERSTOOD BACK THEN, THAT AN ADDICT HAS TO HIT BOTTOM, BEFORE THEY CAN SAVE THEIR OWN ASS!! By enabling an addict, you are simply buying them more time to well, BE AN ADDICT!! But my mom and myself, have locked horns over her taking my sister in her house lately. (and yes, enabling her) My mom has known about her addiction for years as well. Also, she has known that my addicted sister has been behind in her rent for the last 4-5 months as well. She had promised me, that she would not allow her to move back in. BUT SHE DID ANYWAY!! My mom does everything for her, while my sister sleeps 16 hours a day.

EEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I keep telling her to cut this shit out, as it is not helping the situation out at all. My sister simply has to hit bottom, before she can save herself. it's true she may die from this. But by enabling her, she stands a ZERO PERCENT CHANCE of hitting bottom. Thus, saving her own ass!!

Now, since I am the ONLY ONE, in a family of seven, that fully understands the concept of hating the addiction, but loving the addict...

They now are sending me e-mails, saying that they are praying for me, because now, I'm JUST PLAIN HATEFUL!!!! (as if I'm possed by a demon)

YEAH...THEIR DEMON!! BUT IT'S NOT POSSESSING MY ASS!!

I have tried to talk to them in person, over the phone and e-mails...

BUT THEY DO NOT RESPOND!! They simply will not take into consideration that I have been there, that I have been to professional support groups like AA. I have invited all of my family members, to attend at least ONE, Ala-non meeting. Perhaps if they would here this from PROFESSIONALS, they would not try to demonize me the way they do.

...of course, they absolutely want no part of Ala-non in their lives. In addition, Ala-non makes it very clear, that family members will demonize you, for NOT, enabling an addict as well. In addition, they also make it perfectly clear, to accept the fact that many of your family members, will not attend ANY support meetings. Ala-non clearly states, that members in your own family will sense that they are weak in this matter. Nothing could be further from the truth, as it is a conscious willingness to learn, to accept and to live with the fact, regarding addictive behavior, and the family members involved in this.

Another thing that utterly strikes me about unwilling family members, is the fact that they not only will demonize you, BUT THEY WILL TRY TO MARGINALIZE YOU AS WELL!! Does this ring a bell? It should!! Our corporate media and politicians do it all the frickin' time. (laced with propaganda of course) My sisters think I'm one n a million, when stating my beliefs about drug addiction...

until I give them the raw numbers, on how support groups have literally saved the lives of millions, fighting drug and alcohol addiction.

THIS IS THE ONE "ACHILLIES HEAL" OR THE "KRYPTONITE TO SUPERMAN," that most religious brainwashed people hate. And this is...

EMPOWERMENT!!

They simply hate the thought of one thinking rationally for themselves, out of clear fact and logic. And if you let them know, that there are millions of other people just like you, who think for themselves well, they just curl up into a little fucking ball, saying "my world, my world." (like in the "Wizard of Oz."

...isn't this fun to do?...I think so!!

I've never got into an argument with a stupid person. I simply challenge what they say!!Why should I have to use any of my "cerebral bullets," if I don't have too...RIGHT?

...o.k... bringing along a good long rope does help the poor soul eventually but hey, he picked the tree!!

If I ever hear another right winged religious freak say, "love the sinner, but hate the sin," I'm gonna wash their mouth out with lye!! Loving ANYBODY, is the furthest thing from their deviant minds. (only demonizing anybody, is their course of action)

I have told all of them, that they are simply seeking the path of least resistance, and not taking the necessary steps of understanding what drug addiction is all about, and how family members can SO EASILY, be drawn into another family member's addiction. BUT THEY WON'T LISTEN!! And they all have the same "carbon copy answers" as well. I am the problem. Why are you so mean to your sister? And of course, most of their information comes from what they see it to be, and NOT, how it actually is. (does this ring a bell?...DUH!!)

...talk about your "socialism."

So now, all of them are praying for me, because I simply have first knowledge, of the devastating effects of drug addiction. One of my sisters, who use to be "more left of center" than the rest in years past, has been going to bible school every Thursday evening here in town, for the last year and a half or so. I SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW THIS WOMAN ANYMORE!! She told me in an e-mail, shortly after my addicted sister finally got out of mom's house, quote...

THAT SHE WAS PRAYING FOR ME IN WAYS THAT I WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND!!

...unquote

TRULY AMAZING WHAT ORGANIZED RELIGION CAN DO HUH!!

Here is a woman who, for yes, the last (5) family outings I've attended, (about a year and a half mind you) that hardly smiles at all anymore. She is so in to "keeping up with the Jones's," that you can almost see her soul being poured out with the mashed potatoes at a family gathering last week. Of course she, as well as the rest of my sisters, avoid me like the plague anymore as well. Yes hi, how's the weather, but that about it.

Of course, I have taken the liberty to send my one religious sister, a weekly e-mail, telling her that...

I HAVEN'T FELT HER JESUS REDEEM ME YET!!

In closing, I guess what makes matters worse here, is it's almost a "given" that if a certain family member, such as myself, who understands drug addiction, AND WHO DOES NOT ENABLE THE DRUG ADDICT...

WILL ALWAYS BE DEMONIZED BY THE ONES WHO SIMPLY DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE DISEASE!!

They simply do not understand, that the drug addict themselves, have to understand that there are consequences for their addiction/actions/behavior. I'm also considering, putting the lid on my showing up to anymore reunions for awhile anyway.

Kinda like the recovering addicts prayer, where it states that God will give you the serenity, to accept the things you cannot change. I feel as if I'm painting my house with an orange, when trying to communicate with any of my sisters anymore. My addicted sister btw, never shows up for any family gatherings. (for obvious reasons)

But I'm telln' ya kids, you mix organized religion in with this scenerio well...

IT CAN GET VERY INTERESTING!!

And we all know here, that organized religion cannot possibly survive...

WITHOUT IT'S VICTIM/WHICH IS NOW ME!!

...or so they thought

Let's just say, that all three of them received a major dose of

PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT FROM ME!!

It's been an interesting (6) months, as my dad tried this victim shit with me again. It was a mistake he won't easily forget this time, as I had an e-mail list of his "cultish followers of Christ", at his church down in Florida in my draft folder. Once again, he tried to convince (and probably did) that he got out of debt by tithing. Which in turn, I intercepted his "holier than now message," to his congregation, that he got out of debt, BY NOT PAYING CHILD SUPPORT!! (and not tithing) JEEEEEZZZZZZ!!!!!!

...but I still love him just the same

So, in my quest to try to alert my "jesus filled sisters" to the fact that organized religion is dangerous, and that Glen Beck doesn't really give a rat's ass about them at all, I sent them a link, as to how "somewhat normal people" (o.k. lefties) look at this whole religious "poopie."

Please bear in mind, statement #1 from the below link below...

***If you have the awareness level of a snail, and your thinking is mired in shame and guilt (with perhaps a twist of drug abuse or suicidal thinking), then subscribing to a religion can help you climb to a higher level of awareness. Your mindset, however, still remains incredibly dysfunctional; you’ve merely swapped one form of erroneous thinking for another.

***For reasonably intelligent people who aren’t suffering from major issues with low self-esteem, religion is ridiculously consciousness-lowering. While some religious beliefs can be empowering, on the whole the decision to formally participate in a religion will merely burden your mind with a hefty load of false notions.

and how this is so well related to what professionals say about enabling a drug addict, like here...

***Sometimes those in relationships with addicts are psychologically attached to the feeling of being needed by the addict, and losing that relationship would be devastating for their own sense of identity and self-worth***

In a final e-mail I sent to them about a month ago, (which they probably deleted anyway) I explained to them, that our society here in the United States, operates much the same way, as living with an addicted family member, and falling prey to organized religion.

1) You have a social/political problem. (addiction)2) You have the dissenter. (a person who will not "enable" the addict, which is me)3) You have the filthy/evangelical right, who want to demonize the dissenter. (my sisters towards me)4) Who now have their own victim. (me of course) 5) Who operate of of lies, propaganda and FEAR, because they have no sense of personal empowerment, nor any understanding of the issues before them. (our media, our government, primarily the evangelical right/organized religion)

Ya see how this cycle operates/rotates?

...and you wonder why I don't own a f*****g television set!!

They say laughter is the best medicine and truly, it has helped me along, in my daily struggle with let's just say, people WHO USE TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES!!

If I hear any one of my sisters say, "well, it's in god's hands now," then truly...

THEY HAVE NO INTEREST IN EITHER SOLVING THE PROBLEM, OR THINKING FOR THEMSELVES TO BEGIN WITH!! (or both)

I know a lot of people here, are aware of this little religious circus. But I'll tell you my dear friends, it still takes my breath away to this very day, when you see this whole bullshit play out, right before your very own eyes!!

NEVER EVER, UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF CORPORATE TELEVISION/CORPORATE RELIGION!!

...AND IF SOMEONE STARTS TO COME OUT OF THE ETHER, AND STARTS TO ASK SOME "LEGITIMATE QUESTIONS" ABOUT OUR CORPORATE THIS OR THAT, THEN...

just give him a $50.00 gift card at Wal-mart, so he/she can lose all sense of personal empowerment, in their newly purchased "corporate blackberry."

...truly, this is an amazing (but hardly an enlightening) time to be alive!!

p.s. my last dose of personal empowerment, was in an e-mail to all three. it was entitled "self-esteem." It primarily covered courage, wisdom, the ability to think for oneself. (and the ability to tap into one's "spirituality," to bring all of it together as well)

I didn't pull any punches on how I felt about a lot of bullshit in this world nowadays!!

So now, all of them are praying for me, because I simply have first knowledge, of the devastating effects of drug addiction

Could it be that they KNOW you're right, yet if they admitted that they know this to you, they would have to CHANGE and give up that part of their religious beliefs and advice, which are enveloping them like a burka! They prefer the "shroud of deception" to the "bikini of truth!" Could be that you're just far too close, too right, and you're not saying what they want to hear! Religion played no part in your own successful overthrow of addiction, ETL...and that flies in their faces...regardless of your success. You're walking proof positive that push, perseverance, and the sheer strength of one's own character and desire to give up addictions can work without the need for wasting time on prayer to a non-existent deity in the great big wild blue yonder.

Sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and walk away, knowing that you've done all you could for those who are either too blind to see or just are too stubborn and refuse to accept the truth. Kind of like those who continue to support the Rethugs and their scorched earth policy...it's my way or no way and to hell with the non-believers.

_________________

"Behind every great fortune lies a great crime."Honore de Balzac

"Democrats work to help people who need help. That other party, they work for people who don't need help. That's all there is to it."~Harry S. Truman